NEW Falcons tighthead prop Tim Ryan will have the edge over departing talisman Carl Hayman in at least one area, reckons boss Alan Tait.

Delighted Falcons head coach Tait has secured 26-year-old Irishman Ryan as his replacement for All Black powerhouse Hayman – and has backed the pacy runner to make an impression with the ball in hand.

Falcons captain Hayman has joined Jonny Wilkinson and Tom May at Toulon – and now Ryan has agreed to move in the opposite direction from the Stade Mayol.

Former Ireland under-19 cap Ryan moved to France in a two-year deal last summer, with Phillipe Saint-Andre set on taking the Munsterman across the Channel after watching his performance in the 18-16 defeat by the All Blacks in 2008.

Ryan secured his release from his Toulon contract, though, to establish himself as a first-choice No 3 – and now he gets his chance at Kingston Park.

Admitting there can be no replacing Hayman, Tait said the Falcons will miss his totemic work rate most of all.

However, he still believes there is one area where Ryan can outshine his decorated and dedicated predecessor: in marauding open-field raids.

Tait said: “Speaking to people who coached him in Ireland as a youngster, they say he started as a back-rower, and a real ball-carrying one at that, and only moved to prop at about 19.

“So he has top-quality ball-handling skills, and with the way the game is going you need that from your front-rowers.

“Carl is a massive loss and there is no escaping that. Above everything else we will miss his work rate, because that is not something you can teach.

“If Carl has one Achilles heel it is maybe his ball-carrying, and Tim will offer us more in that respect.

“Tim has good defence but that is something we will still have to work on, and I don’t think it is a negative to say he is not as strong in that area as Carl.

“It is massive for a prop to be making 15 tackles a game, out-tackling back-rowers and consistently topping tackle charts across the league.

“Tim is no slouch, and he is a big, no-nonsense man who many cannot believe Munster ever let leave.”

Expecting Ryan to shake things up immediately on his arrival, Tait said he wants him to establish himself as one of the Kingston Park leaders.

He added: “Tim is keen to come in and drive things forward where he can.

“We have James Hudson and Jimmy Gopperth who are excellent leaders for us, but we struggled for numbers in terms of leaders in the past a little.

“Now we need four or five real strong characters to drive things on both in matches and on the training field, and it is great Tim wants to take responsibility for that.

“He says it frustrates him when people do not put it in in training, and that is a refreshing attitude. I am excited about him transferring to Kingston Park.

“I know he is new and will need to settle in and earn the trust and respect of his team mates, but I will not mind him making his presence felt in that respect straight away.”